Patent application title: BAGGAGE CONTAINER

Abstract:

The present disclosure relates to a baggage container with at least one
loading platform for single items of hand baggage, said baggage items
each having a base on which are two opposed lateral walls, said loading
platform comprising reception methods for each base of said items of
baggage in order to receive said items of baggage standing on the base
thereof and organized such that said walls of said items of baggage are
essentially parallel to each other. According to the disclosure, said
reception methods have ways for holding each of said bases and said bases
are designed to engage in said reception methods when the item of baggage
is loaded into the container, such that said bases cooperate with said
retainer methods to hold the item of baggage in a fixed opposition on
said loading platform.

Claims:

1. A luggage container comprising at least one platform for loading
individual items of hand luggage, said items of luggage having
respectively a base surmounted by two opposite lateral sides, said
loading platform comprising means for receiving each of the bases of said
items of luggage in order to receive said items of luggage resting on
their base and in rows so that said sides of said items of luggage are
substantially parallel with one another; characterized in that said
receiving means comprise means for retaining each of said bases; and in
that said bases are suitable for being engaged in said retaining means
when said item of luggage is loaded into said container so that said
bases interact with said retaining means in order to keep said item of
luggage in a fixed position on said loading platform.

2. The luggage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises two
superposed loading platforms.

3. The luggage container as claimed in claim 2, wherein it comprises a
lower platform having a first width L1 and an upper platform (16) having
a second width L2 greater than said first width L1.

4. The luggage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein, since said
loading platform has a bottom wall, said receiving means are arranged on
portions of said bottom wall.

5. The luggage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving
means have lateral guidance means for guiding the base of said items of
luggage in translation in a given direction when said item of luggage is
loaded into said container.

6. The luggage container as claimed in claim 5, wherein said loading
platform has a free loading edge which extends in a manner that is
substantially perpendicular to said given direction.

7. The luggage container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lateral
guidance means comprise guidance section pieces installed on said bottom
wall respectively at a distance from one another and parallel to said
given direction and wherein said receiving means-have lateral guidance
means for guiding the base of said items of luggage in translation in a
given direction when said item of luggage is loaded into said container.

8. The luggage container as claimed in claim 7, wherein, since the bases
of said items of luggage have a width l and a length L, said guidance
section pieces are spaced at a distance d that is substantially equal to
said width l of said bases.

9. The luggage container as claimed in claim 7, wherein said retaining
means comprise retaining wings installed as a return on said guidance
section pieces facing said bottom wall, while the bases of said items of
luggage having coupling wings which extend laterally to come into
engagement beneath said retaining wings.

10. The luggage container as claimed in claim 9, wherein said retaining
wings are oriented toward one another on the guidance section pieces
taken two by two.

11. The luggage container as claimed in claim 7, wherein said retaining
means comprise immobilization locks installed on said guidance section
pieces in order to immobilize said bases in said receiving means.

12. The luggage container as claimed in claim 11, wherein said locks
comprise a bolt that can be retracted and a mechanism for immobilizing
said bolt, said bolt being suitable to protrude laterally from said
guidance section piece.

13. The luggage container as claimed in claim 12, wherein said mechanism
for immobilizing said bolt is a combination lock.

14. An individual item of hand luggage designed to be loaded into a
luggage container as claimed in claim 1.

15. The individual item of hand luggage as claimed in claim 14, wherein it
comprises a removable base.

16. The luggage container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lateral
guidance means comprise guidance section pieces installed on said bottom
wall respectively at a distance from one another and parallel to said
given direction and wherein said loading platform has a free loading edge
which extends in a manner that is substantially perpendicular to said
given direction.

Description:

[0001]The present invention relates to a luggage container designed for
the automatic handling and routing of items of luggage.

[0002]One envisaged field of application is in particular that of air
transport for which it is necessary to transfer individual items of hand
luggage between an air terminal and the hold of an aircraft. The items of
luggage are usually of parallelepipedal shape and they have a base
surmounted by two opposite lateral sides spaced at a distance
corresponding to the thickness of the item of luggage.

[0003]For the purpose of increasing the turnaround rate of the aircraft,
it is necessary for the transfer of the items of luggage between the
aircraft and the air terminal to be carried out in the shortest possible
time and with means that are as low-cost as possible.

[0004]Also, installations comprising a storage frame have been conceived,
the items of luggage being stored manually resting on their base and in
rows, for example by the luggage porters themselves. In this way, the
items of luggage are stored rationally and manually, in order to be able
to be subsequently handled in an automatic manner without human
intervention, and in particular so as to be transferred into the hold of
the aircraft in rows, after the storage frame has been carried to the
aircraft by means of a motor vehicle.

[0005]Moreover, the items of luggage are easily taken out by the operators
themselves, after the automatic transfer in rows, this time from the hold
to another identical storage frame, after the plane has landed.

[0006]Reference may be made in particular to document WO2006040421, which
describes such an installation.

[0007]However, a first drawback of this installation results from the
relative movement of the items of luggage on the storage frame when it is
towed, particularly by the motor vehicle. Another drawback lies in the
security that surrounds the transfer of luggage, and in particular the
possibility that a luggage porter can take an item of luggage or
substitute one from the storage frame.

[0008]Also, a problem that arises and that the present invention aims to
solve is to provide a luggage container that makes it possible not only
to reserve a determined space for storing each item of luggage and
prevent it being towed in movement during the transfers, but also which
allows a single identified luggage porter to store or withdraw his item
of luggage in and from said determined space.

[0009]For the purpose of solving this problem, the present invention
proposes, according to a first aspect, a luggage container comprising at
least one platform for loading individual items of hand luggage, said
items of luggage having respectively a base surmounted by two opposite
lateral sides, said loading platform comprising means for receiving each
of the bases of said items of luggage in order to receive said items of
luggage resting on their base and in rows so that said sides of said
items of luggage are substantially parallel with one another; according
to the invention, said receiving means comprise means for retaining each
of said bases; and said bases are suitable for being engaged in said
retaining means when said item of luggage is loaded into said container
so that said bases interact with said retaining means in order to keep
said item of luggage in a fixed position on said loading platform.

[0010]Therefore, a feature of the invention lies in the method of
connecting the items of luggage and the loading platform by virtue of the
cooperation of shape of the base of the items of luggage and of the
retaining means, which method then makes it possible to secure each item
of luggage to said loading platform. In this way, during the transfer of
the luggage, and more precisely during movements of the loading platform,
the items of luggage remain coupled to the latter and no longer risk
escaping therefrom, both during the transfer and during the flight in the
aircraft hold.

[0011]The container that is the subject of the invention comprises,
according to a particular embodiment of the invention, two superposed
platforms, one of great width placed on the other of lesser width.

[0012]Moreover, since said loading platform has a bottom wall, said
receiving means are arranged on portions of said bottom wall, which
portions are in particular suitable for receiving said resting bases.
According to one embodiment of the invention that is particularly
advantageous, said receiving means have lateral guidance means for
guiding the base of said items of luggage in translation in a given
direction when said item of luggage is loaded into said container. In
this way, each of the spaces reserved for the items of luggage is
determined so that the alignment in rows of the items of luggage takes
place without difficulty as the luggage porters load their items of
luggage onto the loading platform.

[0013]Moreover, said loading platform advantageously has a rectilinear
free loading edge which extends in a manner that is substantially
perpendicular to said given direction. In addition, said lateral guidance
means preferably comprise guidance section pieces installed on said
bottom wall respectively at a distance from one another and parallel to
said given direction. In this way, the items of luggage are loaded onto
the loading platform so that one end of their base is engaged between two
consecutive section pieces, in the vicinity of the free loading edge, and
then the item of luggage is pulled manually in translation by the porter
in said given direction, thanks to the guidance of the base by the
guidance section pieces. Moreover, since the bases of said items of
luggage have a width l and a length L, said guidance section pieces are
advantageously spaced at a distance d that is substantially equal to said
width l of said bases, and preferably at a distance d slightly greater
than the width l in order to arrange a functional clearance allowing the
base to slide between the section pieces.

[0014]According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the
invention, said retaining means comprise retaining wings installed as a
return on said guidance section pieces facing said bottom wall so as to
form a U-shaped housing, while the bases of said items of luggage having
coupling wings which extend laterally to come into engagement in said
U-shaped housing, beneath said retaining wings. In this way, and as will
be explained in detail in the rest of the description, the base, and
consequently the item of luggage, is secured to the loading platform.

[0015]According to this embodiment, said retaining wings are preferably
oriented toward one another on the guidance section pieces taken two by
two. Therefore, two consecutive guidance section pieces have respectively
two retaining wings facing one another under which two opposite coupling
wings of the base are fitted to come respectively into engagement. In
this way, the item of luggage has only one degree of freedom relative to
the loading platform in said given direction. Also, said retaining means
advantageously comprise immobilization locks installed on said guidance
section pieces in order to immobilize said bases in said receiving means.
Thus, the items of luggage are totally secured to the loading platform
and no longer have any degree of freedom relative to it. Preferably, said
locks comprise a bolt that can be retracted, for example by tilting, and
a mechanism for immobilizing said bolt, said bolt being suitable to
protrude laterally from said guidance section piece. Advantageously, said
mechanism for immobilizing said bolt is a combination lock, so as to
allow the immobilization lock to be unlocked only by the carrier of the
combination. In this way, not only can the item of luggage be loaded into
the container, in a location reserved in advance, only if the luggage
porter knows the combination but also, conversely, the luggage can be
recovered only by a person knowing said combination and, a priori, the
porter of the luggage himself or a third party to whom he has
communicated said combination. Thus, the security conditions that
surround the transfer of the luggage are assured.

[0016]According to another aspect, the present invention proposes an
individual item of hand luggage designed to be loaded into a luggage
container as described above.

[0017]Other particular features and advantages of the invention will
emerge on reading the following description of a particular embodiment of
the invention, given as an indication and in no way limiting it, with
reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0018]FIG. 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a luggage container
according to the invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a schematic view in perspective of an item of luggage
designed to be installed in the luggage container shown in FIG. 1; and

[0020]FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of detail in perspective of the
container shown in FIG. 1.

[0021]FIG. 1 shows in perspective a container 10 for luggage 12 according
to the invention. This container 10 has two platforms for loading items
of luggage 12, a lower platform 14 and an upper platform 16. The
container 10 is of generally tubular shape with an axis of symmetry A,
and it is suitable for being loaded into the hold of an aircraft not
shown, so that its axis of symmetry A extends substantially parallel to
the longitudinal axis of said aircraft. Said hold is designed to receive
a plurality of containers 10 in line with one another so that their axes
of symmetry A are substantially indistinguishable.

[0022]Therefore, it will be considered that the lower platform 14 has a
first width L1 and the upper platform 16 has a second width L2 greater
than the first in a direction perpendicular to the axis of symmetry A of
the container 10 although, in the direction of this axis of symmetry A,
the container 10 has a depth P lying between a front plane Pav and a rear
plane Par, said depth P being similar to a length which is smaller than
the aforementioned widths L1 and L2. Specifically, the first width L1 is
preferably between 125 cm and 170 cm, for example 160 cm and the second
width L2 preferably between 230 cm and 270 cm, for example 250 cm, while
the depth P of the container 10 is advantageously between 100 cm and 150
cm, for example 125 cm.

[0023]The lower platform 14 is therefore of rectangular shape; it has two
first opposite free loading edges, one of them 18, at the front of the
figure, the other 20 at the rear of the figure, and two first opposite
lateral edges 22, 24 respectively surmounted by two first opposite and
rectangular vertical walls 26, 28. These two first vertical walls 26, 28
have a length that is substantially equivalent to the depth P of the
container 10 and a height h1 preferably of between 40 and 60 cm, for
example 50 cm.

[0024]These first vertical walls 26, 28 also and respectively have two
upper rims 30, 32 on which the upper platform 16 rests. This upper
platform 16 then overhangs the lower platform 14; having a second width
L2 greater than the first width L1 of the lower platform 14, it is
adjusted on the latter so that its two opposite ends 34, 36 extend
respectively beyond the lower platform 14 and on each side, by a
substantially equivalent distance, for example, of 45 cm.

[0025]The upper platform 16 has two second opposite free loading edges,
38, 40 and two second opposite lateral edges 42, 44 respectively
surmounted by two second opposite and rectangular vertical walls 46, 48.
They also have a length equivalent to the depth P of the container 10 and
a height h2 equal to h1, for example of 50 cm. They are connected
together, in their upper portion, by a ceiling wall 50 which overhangs
the upper platform 16, in this instance at a distance of approximately 50
cm.

[0026]However, it will be observed that the second opposite vertical walls
46, 48 and the ceiling wall 50 which connects them are not absolutely
necessary in all circumstances. They may in particular not be installed
when the user is forced to stack the containers so as to occupy the
smallest possible space.

[0027]Moreover, the lower platform 14 and the upper platform 16 are
connected together by oblique lateral arms 52, 54 which extend
respectively between the first and second opposite lateral edges 22, 42;
24, 44, so as to stiffen the container 10. According to an embodiment not
shown of the luggage container according to the invention, provision is
made to connect together the lower platform 14 and the upper platform 16
by retractable arms. More precisely, these arms are suitable to be folded
so as to be able to extend between the two platforms 14, 16 while the
latter are brought closer together in order to rest against one another.
In this manner, luggage containers can be stored and stacked on one
another while occupying a space that is reduced and less bulky than a
nonretractable container.

[0028]As will be explained in greater detail in the rest of the
description, the lower platform 14 and upper platform 16 respectively
have bottom walls 56, 58 on which guidance section pieces 60, 62 are
installed. In addition, they are respectively fitted with foldable flaps
64, 66 mounted articulated along said free edges 18, 38.

[0029]Before that, a description will be given with reference to FIG. 2 of
an individual item of hand luggage 68 suitable for being installed on the
lower platform 14 or upper platform 16 of the aforementioned container 10
and for which protection is also sought.

[0030]The individual item of hand luggage 68 has a base 70 surmounted by
two opposite lateral sides 72, 74 and two opposite rim walls 76, 78
joining a gripping wall 80. The base 70 is substantially rectangular and
it has a width l and a length L. The width l is advantageously between 25
and 35 cm, for example 28 cm and the length between 40 cm and 100 cm,
while the height h of the individual item of luggage 68 is less than 50
cm.

[0031]The base 70 has two opposite lateral borders 82, 84 and is fitted,
on a bottom wall 85, on the side of one of the rim walls 76, with two
rollers 86, and on the other side with two resting pads 88.

[0032]It will be seen that the two rollers 86 are respectively mounted
recessed into the opposite lateral sides 72, 74 toward the inside of the
base 70. Also, the base 70 has, on each of the opposite lateral borders
82, 84 coupling wings 90, 92 formed by means of a lateral groove 94 made
in the opposite lateral borders 82, 84. This lateral groove 94 is made
over a length that is substantially equal to half of the length L of the
base 70, at a constant distance from the bottom wall 85, and it extends
from a rest stop 93 up to said one of the rim walls 76 at which it
emerges at the rollers 86. At the other end from the rollers 86, in line
with the lateral groove 94 and close to the other rim wall 78, the
opposite lateral borders 82, 84 respectively have an immobilization
recess 95. It will be noted that the distance that separates the
immobilization recess 95 and the rest stop 93 is determined. An
explanation will be given in greater detail, with reference to FIG. 3, on
the one hand of the functions of the coupling wings 90, 92 and the manner
in which they interact with the lateral grooves 94 and the rest stop 93
and, on the other hand, the functionality of these immobilization
recesses 95.

[0033]Moreover, according to an embodiment of the invention not shown, the
base is mounted removably on the individual items of hand luggage. Thus,
the items of luggage that are not fitted with a base as described above,
when they are presented in the air terminal before embarkation, could be
fitted with such a removable base just before they are checked in. In
this manner, the item of luggage thus fitted can be inserted like the
other individual items of hand luggage into the container according to
the invention.

[0034]Reference is now made to FIG. 3 showing in perspective the details
of the upper platform 16. Naturally, the two platforms 14, 16 comprise
the same detail elements. Note that the container 10 has two portions 96,
98 that are symmetrical with one another relative to a midplane Pm
perpendicular to the axis of symmetry A of the container 10 and which
bisects it at equal distance from the opposite free edges 18, 20; 38, 40
of the lower platform 14 and upper platform 16. Moreover, note also that
the fold-down flap 66 extends in this instance in a folded-down position
in the plane of the bottom wall 58.

[0035]This FIG. 3 shows the bottom wall 58 of the upper platform 16 on
which are installed the guidance section pieces 62 which extend parallel
with one another and in the direction of the axis of symmetry A, from one
free edge 38 to the other opposite free edge 40. Naturally, these
guidance section pieces 62 are installed in a manner identical to that in
which the guidance section pieces 60 are installed on the lower platform
14.

[0036]Thus, the guidance section pieces 62 are installed at a distance d,
from one another, equivalent to the width l of the base 70 of each of the
items of luggage 68, and more precisely at a slightly greater distance in
order to obtain a reception space 97 providing a functional sliding
clearance of the base 70 between the section pieces 62 and in a direction
parallel to the axis of symmetry A.

[0037]Moreover, the section pieces 62 have a rear portion 100 situated in
the vicinity of the midplane Pm, on the opposite side a front free end
99, and an upper edge 101. The section pieces 62 are fitted with
retaining wings 102 which extend transversely, in their rear portion 100,
from their upper edge 101, as a return and facing the bottom wall 58. In
addition, these retaining wings 102 terminate longitudinally in a bearing
end 103 oriented toward the front free end 99 and at a given distance
from this front free end 99.

[0038]Two consecutive section pieces 62 thus have, in their rear portion
100, retaining wings 102 oriented toward one another so as to form two
U-shaped housings facing one another.

[0039]In this way, the item of luggage 68 shown in FIG. 3 in a transparent
manner for the requirements of the description is partially engaged
between two section pieces 62, the rollers 86 in this instance being
masked by the section pieces 62, and resting against the bottom wall 58.
The section pieces 62 also mask the lateral groove 94 of the base 70.

[0040]The item of luggage 68 is designed to be driven in translation
toward the rear portion 100 of the section pieces 62 so that the
retaining wings 102 engage slidingly in the lateral grooves 94 of the
base 70. In this manner, the base 70 is kept laterally engaged between
the section pieces 62 and vertically by the retaining wings 102 which
keep it resting against the bottom wall 58. On the other hand, the base
70 and consequently the item of luggage 68 are still free in translation
in the direction of the axis of symmetry A.

[0041]In order to lock the item of luggage 68 onto the upper platform 16,
by means of its base 70, the guidance section pieces 62 are fitted, in
their front free end 99, with an immobilization lock 104 comprising a
pivoting retractable bolt 106 and a combination mechanism 108 for
immobilizing the retractable bolt 106. The combination immobilization
mechanism 108 is in this instance a thumbwheel immobilization mechanism.

[0042]The retractable bolt 106 is installed at a determined distance from
the bearing end 103 of the retaining wings 102, this determined distance
corresponding exactly to the determined distance that separates the
immobilization recess 95 and the rest stop 93 of the base 70. The
retractable bolt 106 is also suitable for pivoting between an active
position, in which it extends laterally protruding from the front free
end 99 of the guidance section piece 62 and an inactive position in which
it is retracted inside the immobilization lock 104 and recessed from the
front free end 99 of the guidance section piece 62. Moreover, only one
immobilization lock 104 is provided for each reception space 97, in order
to immobilize the base 70 in said reception space 97. Thus, each of the
front free ends 99 of the guidance section pieces 62 is fitted with an
immobilization lock 104 furnished with a single retractable bolt 106.

[0043]Consequently, when the base 70 is engaged between the guidance
section pieces 62, one of its lateral borders 84 pushes the retractable
bolt 10 into the immobilization lock 104 provided, of course, that the
correct combination of the immobilization lock 104 has been displayed.
Then, the retractable bolt 106 returns to its active position, protruding
laterally from the immobilization lock 104 when the item of luggage 68
has been driven in translation so that the rest stops 93 of the lateral
grooves 94 have come to press against the bearing end 103 of the
retaining wings 102 and thereby one of the immobilization recesses 95 is
exactly opposite the retractable bolt 106.

[0044]Finally, after the combination of the immobilization lock 104 has
been scrambled, the retractable bolt 106 remains in its active position
protruding from the immobilization recess 95 and it forms a member for
stopping the item of luggage 68 via the base 70. The latter is then also
held in a fixed position in the direction of the axis of symmetry A and
thus trapped by the platform 16. Consequently, the item of luggage 68
cannot be taken from it without again displaying the correct combination
of the immobilization lock 104.

[0045]In addition, and as shown in FIG. 1, in which the fold-down flaps
64, 66 are in folded-down opposition, facing the other rim wall 78 of the
items of luggage 68, the latter are totally trapped by the container 10.
Because, in effect, even when the retractable bolt 106 is retracted, if
there was an attempt to extract the items of luggage 68, they would butt
against the fold-down flaps 64, 66 in their folded-down positions.